SMARTBOOKS TO FLOOD THE MARKET IN 2010

Not a single smartbook hit the market in 2009, but we heard quite a lot about them. Smartbooks are mini-laptops with low power ARM-based processors. They get excellent battery life and will allow you to always stay connected to the internet through WiFi or a 3G cellular connection.

Recently chip-maker Qualcomm said that Lenovo would be making a smartbook based on a Qualcomm processor. This will be the first smartbook from Lenovo and it is likely to be available subsidized through AT&T.

Now Pegatron Technology, a Taiwanese company, says that it has received huge orders for smartbooks that will be released in 2010. Pegatron devices have a history of getting rebranded and resold in the US by some big PC vendors. So chances are we will see a flood of announcements in the first quarter of 2010. Pegatron smartbooks are expected to run on Linux-based operating systems and could sell for around $200.

TEGRA POWERED SMARTBOOKS IN THE DEVELOPMENT

Smartbooks powered by Nvidia’s Tegra platform are currently being built. These devices are expected to run on Google’s upcoming Chrome operating system.

The Tegra platform is different from the ION platform. While the ION platform pairs an Intel Atom processor with Nvidia 9400M GPU, the Tegra platform pairs an ARM-based processor with Nvidia GeForce GPU. The advantages of using the Tegra platform include a long battery life. Intel’s processors are notorious for being power hungry. The ARM processors, on the other hand, are very energy efficient. Nvidia also claims that smartbooks running on the Tegra platform will be capable of handling 1080p video, HD Flash, 3G and Wi-Fi.

FOXCONN DEVELOPING INEXPENSIVE SMARTBOOKS

Foxconn Technology is expected to release its first smartbooks next year. The mini-laptops will use Arm-based processors common in smartphones.

A smartbook is similar to a netbook in specifications and features but it doesn’t use an Intel Atom processor common in netbooks. Smartbooks are also much cheaper than netbooks: They come in the price range of $100 to $200.

Foxconn said that it has been asked by telecommunication companies in China and elsewhere to build smartbooks because of their attractive price tags. The company is working on ‘less than five’ smartbook models now. The devices are codenamed Qbooks and may use Linux based operating systems. The Foxconn smartbooks will have displays between 7 inches and 10 inches.